We are now at that time of year where news is hard to come by. After ending OTAs, players and coaches take time off before reconvening at the end of July for training camp. While this part of the year would normally be dead in the way of news, Kansas City’s search for a new general manager keeps Chiefs Kingdom awake.
Off-Season Darkness and a Restless Tribe: The Kansas City Chiefs Off-Season
A Recap
Lets start from the beginning of this turbulent off-season. Jamaal Charles was released and later defected to the Denver Broncos. Dontari Poe was traded to the Atlanta Flacons, and the Chiefs picked up Bennie Logan from Philadelphia. The Chiefs then moved up in the first round of the draft with the “Quarterback of the Future” in Patrick Mahomes II. They also picked some other exciting prospects in the later rounds. So far, so good.
Then things just get weird. Days after his wedding, Jeremy Maclin gets released, and there still isn’t a lot of context as to why. Not long after that, it was announced that general manager John Dorsey, who played a huge role in the Chiefs success, was released, effective immediately. This happened the same day that Andy Reid got a contract extension.
A Reaction
This off-season has been weird. Seeing Charles and Poe go was tough, and the draft brought excitement for the future. Then Maclin and Dorsey take off, leaving Chiefs fans scratching their head. It seems like for whatever happens to make you excited for this team in 2017, there is another thing that worries you.
It is important for Chiefs Kingdom to not get cynical. Yet, it is also healthy and not wrong to see where this could go bad. After great seasons, both the Cincinnati Bengals and the Arizona Cardinals had tough 2016 skids. Both are good teams with great players, but they didn’t live up to their talent last season. We have seen talented Chiefs teams lose winnable games to beatable teams already, even during winning seasons. It is certainly not out of the realm of possibility that the Chiefs could be next to hit such a skid.
Whoa Whoa Whoa, Calm Down
With all of that said, let’s take a moment to be more optimistic. This is a Chiefs team led by the second winningest active NFL coach. Andy Reid has done plenty to keep this team on the right side of .500. The Chiefs have plenty of talent to stay in the race for a playoff spot, and can stand among some of the best NFL teams.
The Chiefs have a good season ahead of them, but beyond that is a brighter future. A lot of that is due to Dorsey, but it can be brought to fruition by Andy Reid. Chiefs Kingdom needs to simply trust the system.
2017 Season
This month will be quiet, save for any news on a new general manager. At the end of July, the Chiefs start training camp, with preseason coming in August. The Chiefs have a tough regular season schedule ahead. After winning the AFC West, the Chiefs will face the winners of the other AFC Divisions, including members of the AFC East and the NFC East.
While the Chiefs are always focused on winning, the 2017 season may be a pivot into a new future for Kansas City. Rookie quarterback Patrick Mahomes is expected to lead the Chiefs into the future. With that understanding, it will be interesting to see what 2017 has in store for Chiefs Kingdom.
